ttAmerica RoadsterAWD

Part of my lifter installment called for wires/spark plugs too. All I can say is damn, getting a fist full of fingers withing the engine to propertly affix the wires was a major PIA! Scraped hands, bleedng knuckles, back strain from bendng over trying to secure the wires......What were you thinking??????

For those looking into changing 0ut spark plug wires......good luck!

Jaime

jmayzurk

Very true...it's a rite of passage...the car doesn't really belong to you until you've changed the spark plug wires with the motor installed.

It helps to make some tools. You need a couple of right-angle screwdrivers, ideally ratcheting. I used two cheapo ones from sears, one flat and one with a 15 degree angle, and then cut the bits down until they were as short as possible. Then I welded the bits into the handle so they wouldn't fall out while working on the top of the fan shroud.



What a pain in the ***...

-Jeff

ttAmerica RoadsterAWD

Jeff, I'm replacing all phillip screws with regular bolt heads. So much easier to get in there with a small wrench and a 1/4inch rachet. But you are right...you have to make some custom tools to get to the bowels on this engine.

Here's a tip. To follow the oem route for the wires you will need to push the distributor cap end of the wires from right to left (ie, push the small ends rather than the large spark plug ends). You will come to see that it's painful to push the ends under the AC compressor stabilizer bar. It just does not fit. So, you can eithe undo this bar(which is a PIA), or do what I did. Between the AC stabilizer bar bracket (on the compressor) and the engine shroud there is a nut that you cannot back out because of the AC bracket. Take a file and file down the bracket enough to be able to pass the wires. You'll need to deliver the each of the three wire caps up past the filed area, then one by one push in at the wire part, then it will all go thru without a problem

Tip #2 Make sure the new wires have the tiedown plastic brackets in the same spot as the old ones. I had to take out the new ones to re-do the postitions as they are hard to slide installed. Just take the old one and place in on the floor, take the new one and mirror image it and adjust off the engine.

Jaime

JasonAndreas

Did you unscrew the connectors from the ignition wires first? I don't have AC but when I do the wires in my NA it's a lot easier to lay out just the wires and then screw the connectors back on.

Acropora

Jaime, why did you need new wires? I have some wires off a 993NA I'm hoping to use if they don't have any cracks in them.

Tim Wasmer

Guys:

I have dumb question. As I am the 3rd owner of the car and the records are sparce, how does one tell if the wires need to be replaced? Same with the plugs.

Thanks form an un-initaiated one...........

ttAmerica RoadsterAWD

Hi guys.

Jason, no, I didn't unscrew the connectors(didn't know you could!). Whichis why it's a pain to replace. You reall don't have to follow oem route, could have easily gone over some of the local structrures, but being as **** retentive as I am I just had to do it like factory.

Acropora, Tim, I don't know if I had to change them, but I figured after 10 years it's cheap insurance, plus don't have to worry about it for some time. We had the group buy some time ago with plugs, wires, cap, rotor....just doing it all at this time, oh, and throttle body too.

Jaime

porschespeeddemon

One of the biggest reasons I have replaced them on 993's is due to cracking on the lower 6. They come down through the sheetmetal and make such sharp bends, they WILL crack through the insulation and, if let go long enough, they will arc to ground...not a good thing. A/c compressor is not hard to undo and lay out of the way either, 3 long bolts with square nuts on the bottom, and the 4th in the front left which has the captive nut in the bracing arm. Another good tip is to use a mettallic silver sharpie and you can label each wire underneath the boot to help you out, but is hidden once installed, or you can wipe it off with some brake cleaner, and yes make sure to get the plastic braces in the EXACT same spot. Have Fun! And Tim....We are NOT doing this at the shop.....

Tim Wasmer

Sorry about that C man

How would I look at mine to see what condition they are in?

JasonAndreas

The spark plug socket and the suppressor caps both unscrew.




The OEM wires should already have the cylinder numbers silk-screened onto them.

ttAmerica RoadsterAWD

Aw Crap!! I was sent the wrong wires!!!

couldn't figure out why it was so hard to replace the turbo hoses with the plug caps so bulky. Went to read the package and it's for a 965!!!

You guys KNOW how I'm feeling now

I'm hoping I got the right plugs, caps.....crap all this time wasted!!!!

so pissed off right now.......................................

Felix

As someone else pointed out some time back, it's a rite of passage when you're working on your 911 and you get the stage where you think "Porsche, what were you thinking??!" Before you personally get to that stage you're just a Porsche owner; after that you have a whole new understanding.

ttAmerica RoadsterAWD

UPDATE:

Ok, got it all figured out. The Beru wires we purchased as a group buy is made for the 965, but also fits the 993tt. One difference I experience, however, is that all wire ends have a bulky, rubber material with two "horns". You can see them from Jason's photos up above. Look at the top of the photo and you will see two "horns". My factory 993tt does not have "horns", and all have much less "meat" in this area. As a result, this bulkyness lies right in the path of both turbo hoses!!

Solution: You can take a scalpel/knife and literally debulk the end of the new wire, or do what I did: unscrew the "old" end and swap with the new end. I was able to do this thanks to Jason's incredible fund of knowledge of these cars.........Thank you Jason, sir!

Lifter update: Well, Now I have a "different" clack. Seems one or two lifters are not charging. Specifcally Intake lifter 4, and 5. I had noted when I installed the new lifters into 4, and 5 there was "play" even after snaping all the way in. I could move the lifter in and out to within 1mm. I thought maybe it just did not charge up all the way, but now I'm thinking the actual rocker/foot is messed up. Is it possible to lose "round" be become oblong where the lifter goes in? Do rocker arms go bad??

Jaime